


Beginning Anew

by lovlyrita



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: HPFT, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 05:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7421191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovlyrita/pseuds/lovlyrita
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco Malfoy had spent his whole life assuming that he'd live in Malfoy Manor forever and take up being the Patriarch of the family after his father was disgraced following the end of the wizarding war. But sometimes life has the most interesting of turns and surprises in store.</p>
<p>For caomoyl and Lost Muse's The New Home Challenge</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beginning Anew

Nestled in the hills of lush English countryside was a Georgian style house, constructed from handsome red brick and surrounded by a considerably large garden. By any stray passerby’s opinion, it was a beautiful property, located minutes from a small village and within ten miles of Bath, a gorgeous, historic city in southern England. It featured large windows surrounding a grand front door, and a recently replaced roof that was capped on either side by chimneys. The advertisement in the paper had promised “the perfect place to raise children” with quality schools and parks nearby.

Draco Malfoy did not care about the local schools, or the parks nearby, or how close it was to Bath. 

Ambling through the iron gate surrounding the property, he quickly glanced up at the façade as the realtor yammered on about the foundation and recent upgrades to the interior. Before last Tuesday, he would never have considered looking for a new home. Before last Tuesday, he thought he would be fine living in his downtown London flat forever with Astoria, his fiancé. Truth be told, he had only been living in the flat with her for a few months, but he’d grown fond of the little studio, so close to everything in the bustling city. 

That flat – and this house, for that matter – were a far cry from the ancestral home of his upbringing. Malfoy Manor was one of the most impressive houses owned by any witch or wizard. Less a house, more a castle, it had been a refuge for him, a place where he could escape all the negative influences that had been threatening the wizarding world when he had been a boy. He had fond memories of delicious, house elf prepared meals, running through the gardens in the summer, and playing quidditch with his young, pure blood friends, some of whom were no longer living. 

“If you’ll look off to the side here, Mr. Malfoy, you’ll see that there’s a small pond at the edge of the property. Nothing too exciting, but it is stocked with fish if you’re interested in that sort of thing,” the realtor said, lazily waving in the direction of the pond. Draco nodded but didn’t say anything. The pond was nice, but Draco was busy sizing up the garden. It was so brilliantly green, with small clusters of flowers nestled up to the back of the house. He didn’t often see flowers at his childhood home – it was far too austere for something so delicate. Astoria loved flowers, especially violets. He was sure they could both love a garden like this, but the cheery home that loomed in front of him was a different matter entirely. 

As the realtor began to lead him toward the back of the property, the precipitation that had been threatening all morning finally broke free from the dark clouds above.

“Ah, rain right on time. Let’s have a look on the inside, shall we?”

Draco followed, noting that there was a conservatory on the back of the house. That would be a nice place to spend sunny afternoons. The Manor didn’t have anything like that – it would have let in too much natural light. There had once been a ridiculous rumour swirling around Hogwarts that he was a vampire, probably started by someone who saw the ominous looking Malfoy Manor and drew laughable conclusions. It was preposterous of course, but there was a valid point to be made. When he was growing up, Draco considered the dark to be a warm cocoon, keeping him safe and hidden. His thoughts, his secrets, they were secure in the dark. But what did he have to hide now?

“Here is the dining room, a large area for entertaining guests and enjoying evening meals. The kitchen is just in through here. The last tenants were muggles, but of course this room can be changed for your magical needs. I find refrigerators to be most curious, if you’re interested in keeping some of the appliances. It is an eat in kitchen with a small breakfast nook here to your left. The green colour of the walls is rather garish, but that’s easily fixed with a quick wave of your wand. Do you have any questions so far?” 

“No, so far it looks like a decent house,” Draco said pensively. A home that had been previously owned by muggles. Of course he’d known that when he had agreed to have a look at the property, but actually seeing it was another matter. This marked the first time in his entire life that he had entered a muggle residence. He wondered absently what his parents would think of him moving here with Astoria. Things had been different since the end of the war, and his mother would probably adjust to the idea, but his father? That was a different matter entirely. 

“Right. Well, there are four bedrooms, an office and three and a half bathrooms. The office is just on the other side of the kitchen there. Are you ready to pop upstairs?”

Draco nodded and followed the realtor to the stairs, which creaked under his weight. The stairs in Malfoy Manor were older than these, but did not show their age so blatantly. There was a part of him that always expected to move back into the Manor, especially under these circumstances. His parents still inhabited the east wing, but he could have had the entire west wing to himself. His mother had said as much when he’d visited on Thursday afternoon to tell her the news. 

“I absolutely insist, Draco,” had been her exact words as she’d laid a hand on his shoulder, the same perfume she’d worn his entire life wafting toward him. “This is where you belong.”

He hadn’t even told Astoria that he’d stopped by his parents’ house. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to live at the Manor again; eventually he’d inherit the property. But that same dark house that had faithfully hidden his secrets for so long seemed stifling now. He felt as though he couldn’t catch his breath within its walls, knowing the horrors they had seen – the horrors he had witnessed there himself. It had been several years since the defeat of Voldemort, but occasionally the memories were still raw. And while he didn’t mind being there occasionally, the thought of having to confront those demons and the disastrous choices he had made back then every single day was overwhelming. 

So instead, he decided to look elsewhere for a permanent residence. Astoria had been delighted by his initiative, kissing him long and hard before he had disapparated to the realtor’s office. “Relieved” had been the word she’d used. It had cut him a bit, as though she might leave him if he hadn’t decided to house hunt alone. He was being silly – no, he knew exactly why relieved was probably the right word for her to use. 

“The master suite is here – a pretty good size, if you ask me. There’s an ensuite bathroom with a lovely bathtub installed by the previous owner. Plenty of room here for a large wardrobe. The wood flooring is original to the house, several hundred years old, and there’s a lovely view of the garden with a small balcony.”

Next door to the master suite was the second bedroom, much smaller in comparison but perfect in every way. The same oak flooring accented the room, and there was another beautiful window. Draco’s mind was flooded with scenes of what could be for the first time since he had arrived to the house. He and Astoria, after supper and bath time, upstairs in this room. A crib in the corner…their son or daughter cradled in Astoria’s arms as she rocked the little one to sleep.

He hadn’t believed the news when she’d first told him. _Pregnant._

**

“What?” he asked, more harshly than he’d intended. Astoria looked at him, her eyes radiant behind a sheen of tears. 

“I confirmed it today. I’m 8 weeks along. I’ve been suspecting it for a couple of weeks, but I wasn’t sure. Strong heart beat,” she whispered, absently touching her abdomen.

Draco felt as though he’d been hit in the stomach. All the colour drained from his face, and he swallowed hard. “Pregnant? Pregnant.” 

“I’m due in October.”

“Pregnant. Wow.” He stared at his feet and he tried to organize the maelstrom of thoughts coursing through his mind. After a few moments, Astoria grabbed his hand and pulled him to face her. 

“Draco. Draco, say something. Are you…do you want…” 

He had cut her off midsentence by grabbing her around the waist and claiming her lips. 

“I’m going to be a father,” he said, smiling against her mouth. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it all out.” 

A sob escaped the back of her throat and she kissed him back, relief plain on her features. 

“I am so happy,” he said, leading her slowly into the bedroom. “I cannot think of a time that I have ever been happier.”

**

Draco blinked, trying to think of his long deceased Grandmother, or last night’s quidditch match he’d read about in the prophet, or anything else to distract him from recalling the absolute bliss that had followed after learning he was going to be a father. There was nothing in this house that would be able to hide the physical evidence of such memories, and Draco had no desire to scandalize the realtor, who was in fact a very nice middle aged woman who would probably get the wrong idea. 

“Does…erm…are there…where’s the third bathroom?” he asked clumsily, rushing forward out the door. She led him down the hall to the room, which consisted of a toilet, a sink, and a small shower. Once the tour of the upstairs was finished, they reconvened in the kitchen. 

“So, does this house meet your requirements? We do have another property available that’s slightly bigger than this one, a bit closer to London if you’re interested. We also have a lovely castle in Cornwall, and a Tudor style home near Cambridge –“

“Those all sound lovely but…I like this house,” he said, a bit surprised as he heard his own words. “It’s classic, and I think it’s exactly what I’m looking for.”

“Really? I must confess myself surprised, Mr. Malfoy. I couldn’t believe you wanted to see this property at all, I thought for sure you’d want something grander than this house. It’s a quarter of the size of the famed Malfoy Manor and a bit…quaint, if you don’t mind me saying. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather see this lovely gothic castle we have, closer to Manchester but—“

“No, I think this will work out well. I’ll take it,” he said, beaming with pride. There was no reason to see any other kind of flat, house, or castle. This was the perfect place to start a new family with the woman he cherished with more love than he even knew he was capable of giving.

“Right well, I’ll draw up the parchment,” the realtor said, disappointment from missing out on a larger piece of the Malfoy fortune evident in her voice. 

Draco smiled, unfazed by the woman’s greed. Today, he had made the decision to start a new life away from the chains that his name imposed upon him. He would buy this house, with its pond, garden, and muggle appliances. It was time to grow up, be a man, and provide for his family.


End file.
